Survivor 45 Scoop – Week 10 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

Posted By: John Powell

November 29, 2023

Survivor 45 Scoop – Week 10 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments

Dee Valladares, Julie Alley, Jake O’Kane, Austin Li Coon, Emily Flippen, and Bruce Perreault. Photo: CBS.

John Powell – GlobalTV.com

It must have been like her birthday and Christmas all rolled into one for Katurah. Her Darth Vader-Professor Moriarty-Joker-Wile E. Coyote is FINALLY gone from the game and she has Emily to thank for that.

Emily Jedi Mind Tricked Bruce into thinking he didn’t need to play his idol at tribal council. You know, the one that he has been hanging over everyone’s heads forever and ever. It was a move worthy of the infamous Black Widow Brigade who convinced Erik Reichenbach into surrendering his Immunity Necklace to Natalie Bolton years ago during Survivor: Micronesia.

Bruce went off to Ponderosa with an idol in his pocket with Emily pulling off that big move but also doing the bidding of the new Reba alliance. One wonders if her big move and buzzing in everyone’s ear at camp will also result in her being chucked overboard next episode as she is a bigger threat at winning immunity than either Jake or Katurah? Tonight might have been Emily’s Survivor swan song.

Austin Li Coon. Photo: CBS.

Besides Bruce getting gone we also witnessed a lot of rats snitching on other rats. It was no surprise that Katurah revealed Bruce’s big plan to everyone. Jake then ratted out Bruce as well stabbing him in the back as he cut ties with the anchor dragging his game down. We witnessed revealing to Drew that Jake threw out him as a big threat in the game. We even had tattling on Julie to Bruce.

Who can you trust to keep a secret in Survivor 45? Apparently, nobody but Jeff Probst himself.

It was interesting to see Survivor USA use Playing with the Boys by Kenny Loggins during that bro night segment. I don’t think the series has ever used music beyond the Survivor soundtrack before unlike the current Survivor UK who uses such tunes whenever they can. It is one of the many reasons that BBC-produced series is not lighting my torch. What they have done to Doctor Who is what they have done now to Survivor. Sad that.

Loggins’ campy ditty though will always be remembered playing throughout that beach volleyball game in the original Top Gun where Tom Cruise shows off his mad bod. Top Gun just happens to be owned by Paramount Pictures and Paramount Pictures is owned by ViacomCBS which owns CBS which owns Survivor USA.

It is looking more and more like five castaways will make it to the December 20th finale. Dee, Julie and Austin appear to be a solid group with Drew probably the first of the old Reba alliance to be targeted. Perhaps that happens after Emily is eliminated. Jake and Katurah are being kept around for their votes and the fact that they cannot win challenges to save their lives. It will certainly be very curious to see how next week shakes out with so many options on the table. Stay tuned, folks.

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Moment # 5: Letters from home.

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Moment # 4: Boys and Girls nights.

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Moment # 3: Bruce conjures his “big lie”.

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Moment # 2: Drew and Jake argue.

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Moment # 1: Emily works Bruce.

Bruce Perreault

Bruce Perreault. Photo: CBS.

Well, nobody can say Bruce didn’t take full advantage of his second chance at Survivor. Bruce let it all hang out but perhaps just a little too much as social game was the pits. I would go as far as to say one of the worst in Survivor history. Yet despite all that Bruce made it to the final eight. Not a bad showing at all for someone who was such a massive target in the game.

Strategic Gameplay

Bruce cleverly remained silent during the journey with Brandon and Drew. He also protected his vote. He mistimed his attack on Kaleb though and he called out Katurah at the merge but that strategy failed too. His idol strategy was also a big flop. Well, at least you’ve got to give him an ‘A’ for effort.

Rating: 2 / 5

Social Gameplay

Bruce Perreault. Photo: CBS.

Sure, he wasn’t as bad as Russell Hantz. That isn’t saying much though.

Rating: 1 / 5

Entertainment Value

Bruce Perreault. Photo: CBS.

Bruce’s Survivor adventure had a very intriguing redemption story built into it considering how he exited Survivor 44. He was a polarizing character and a not a simple one either. It was easy to find him irritating at times. When he dropped his guard though he was an insightful and even sympathetic.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Final Rating: 7.5 / 15

Who played it cool and who proved themselves to be a fool? Every week John Powell makes his picks for the worst and best players of the week.

Drew’s argument with Jake could be very, very costly indeed.

Emily bouncing around whispering in everyone’s ear, ratting out so many people may pave the way for the end of her game too.

Bruce had all the fire to go all way. His social game is what incinerated everything.

Maybe it is just me but Austin appears to be moving away from Drew and towards Dee. Setting up his end game?

Jake is manoveuring himself quite well. He shifted targets, dodged another bullet and might have lined up some bigger targets for everyone to take out.